"If creativity plays a part in who will be elected mayor in 2018, visual artist Charles O. Anderson will already have a massive upper hand in the upcoming election as he uses a rap video to announce his candidacy today during the qualification period," according to a news release posted with Anderson's video announcement.

His campaign team said the artist has been dedicated to ending the murder epidemic in New Orleans.

“I released this video not because I think I can rap or I want to be a rap artist, but because I wanted to ensure that my mayoral bid, and more importantly, the cause gets the attention of the whole city,” Anderson said. “I will do anything to make sure that we stop the shootings and killings.”